http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/uknews/crime/8973998/Stephen-Lawrence-mu...

a folk hero now?

I hope this brings some semblance of peace to the family of the victim.

I hope at the very least they are feeling a loosening of the bowels about now

Reading the reports released to the press, I'd kind of assumed they could only get the forensic evidence to tie in with the two convicted. The other 3 or 4 didn't have the fibres on their clothing that secured the conviction? How I read it anyway.

We all know the default detestation of The Daily Mail prevalent here. In many ways I share it given its whole "Can Foreign Made Shoes Give You Cancer" type scaremongering.

There can be little doubt, however, that it was The Daily Mail and its headline "Murderers" accusing the two convicted and three others of the killing and inviting them to sue, followed by its subsequent campaigning that led to the Macpherson Inquiry, the (failed) private prosecution, the repeal of the double jeopardy law and this subsequent retrial and conviction.

Arguably, the sheer fact that it was the Mail and not The Guardian or similar organisation easily tagged as pursuing a liberal agenda, that made all the above possible.

Whether we like that fact or not, it was proper investigative and courageous journalism. The sort of journalism that may be used in defence of the argument for an unfettered press.

Not that they will.

It was a few years back, on holiday, that I was having a beer or two with a couple of DCI's, one from The Met, one the West Midlands Serious Crime Squad. Both were taking turns to regale me with tales of stitch-ups and what-REALLY-happened moments. All the cases I could remember, I got filled in on the juicy details. Then I asked about the Lawrence case.

Bang.

Down came the metaphorical shutters. Not a word.

At around the same time, a friend was doing a two-year stretch in Ford. The place was filled with bent coppers who delighted in telling one and all about their exploits. Until someone asked, again, about Stephen Lawrence. Same result. Omerta. These, don't forget, were disgraced coppers with no axe to grind. But they would not speak about it, or say why they wouldn't.

Something stinks.

that a guilty verdict has been returned after all this time. Along with many others, I had thought they had got away with this despicable crime. The Daily Mail does some good. Who would have thunk it!?

That is all. Well done them indeed. Two convictions that wouldn't have happened without them. Yes, there are three other racist scum on the streets with probable blood on their hands, but without the Mail it would be five. I don't care about the paper's motives in this: they did a good thing, regardless of the reason.

Now then. A short custodial stretch for Rod "fucking" Liddle, and I'll be even happier.

where the writer pens an open letter to the convicted killers, the title of which begins: 'Your arrogant racism is part of London's past...'

Just scroll down through a few of the comments, and see how quickly this statement is proved wrong. Awful, hateful stuff.

I hope that the two convicted murderers either tell the truth about the others involvement or let something slip so that the others are convicted too.

Steven Lawrence's parents are something else in this sad tale. They have consistently acted with huge dignity and a superhuman reserve to get to this day. It's just so awful that they ever had to show what fantastic people they are in this manner.

Irrelevant teenage froth.

The same morons who defend the City crooks on every board going on the basis that they must be OK entirely because they're rich AND white.

They've always been there - remember the Federation Of Conservative Students?

Ignore them. The Mail is still vile but this is impressive stuff which will enrage the complacent tossers who have so upset you. Good.

Zephaniah had a good take on it. If these two weren't the actual knife wielders in that illustrious gang they're going to squeal like rats on their 'mates' when they're faced with 10 (yes, they're only going to be sentenced as 16-year-olds) years in a prison which makes remand look like Butlins. (Nice touch that one of them had his nose broken and ribs smashed). Let us hope that not only those two, but Accourt and the rest of the scumbags rot, not in hell, but in a brutal nick where they fear for their life every second of every day.

was in the Met and he made no bones about it. he said it wasn't a race thing but mainly corruption around the local nick and certain senior officers at the yard who were in deep with the father of one of the attackers. He was a heavy gangster and used violence every day and made it known the local plod's family were not immune from his retribution. The time wasted was deliberate to give them time to get their stories straight. He said nothing would happen until those coppers retired.

..brilliant coverage at the time, which was very revealing and spoke to the heart of the alleged corruption in the police force surrounding this case. Others have already alluded to the first murder enquiry’s Detective Sergeant John Davidson who was accused by another police officer of being paid by David Norris's father, Clifford Norris. Davidson denied these allegations - and was cleared by the IPCC. The trail of corruption was alleged to have been linked to criminals involved in the 1983 Brinks Mat gold bullion robbery. Those included Kenneth Noye, who was alleged to have corrupt links to police officers. One of Noye’s criminal associates was Clifford Norris. When the police did actually stir themselves to try to arrest Stephen’s killers, David Norris was not at home, suggesting he had been tipped off. During the Macpherson inquiry into Stephen’s murder the Lawrence family’s solicitors battled to make the links between corruption and racism. One detective was prevented from giving evidence at the Lawrence inquiry. He said that this was done because “there are links between south east London criminal families and policemen, senior policemen, that go way back and the Yard couldn’t afford for any of this to come out during the Lawrence inquiry”.

fail to act like monsters and we're supposed to congratulate them? They spend years promoting racial hate and its eventual result can be ignored because of one headline?

The rest of the time they're spreading lies and propoganda and on this one occassion, having acted like semi-decent human beings, we're all supposed to genuflect next to a craven idol of Paul Dacre?

Not having it at all. Fuck the Daily Mail. Fuck Paul Dacre. And the self righteous, racist, moronic horse he rode in on.

Stephen Lawrence lived for 18 years, 7 months and 9 days.

It has taken 18 years, 8 months and 12 days to find some justice.

that said her son was at home? Will she be in the dock next? The whole family should be hounded and harrassed until their sordid secrets catch up with them. Vile.

a quote from Doreen Lawrence to the effect that she wanted her son not to be thought of as a "black crime victim" but as a bright, beautiful son.

That made me well up a bit on the train this morning (it's ok, it was an early train and wasn't crowded...). Part of her 18 year fight was to ensure that her son was remembered for what he actually was - not simply being summed up by the colour of his skin.

I'm not entirely sure, even now, that we are entirely there yet. But we've come a long way - and we're a lot better than plenty of other places. Sometimes, this country makes me a little bit proud.

(ok, ok... sermon over)